Mumbai likely to get 25,000 new kaali peelis

The state transport department has proposed the release of 25,000 permits for new black-and-yellow taxis in the city. If implemented, the kaali peeli population on roads will go up from 35,000 plus to more than 60,000.Somit Sen | TNN | September 10, 2015, 08:19 IST

MUMBAI: The state transport department has proposed the release of 25,000 permits for new black-and-yellow taxis in the city. If implemented, the kaali peeli population on roads will go up from 35,000 plus to more than 60,000.

Sources said the taxis will be GPS-enabled, provide AC services on demand, will have rooftop indicators to show if they are ‘For Hire’, ‘Booked’ or ‘Driver Off-Duty’, and may have a mobile app later. Most of the new drivers can associate with taxi aggregators like Ola, the sources added.

A L Quadros, leader of the biggest taxi union in the city, welcomed the move. “Since 1997, there has been a freeze on permits, and we have been deprived of new taxis. Our rival operators, mostly those working for aggregators, had taken advantage and operated 14,000 private tourist taxis to cater to the demand,” he said.

“With the 25,000 new taxis, we will cater to increasing demand, especially in the island city. It will also end refusals as there will be more taxis at prepaid stands and outside railway stations,” he stated.

Quadros said he had met senior transport department officials recently. A Mantralaya source said the proposal was awaiting the final nod.

A taxi union activist said the new taxis should be mainly on share routes. “We are demanding more share routes during peak hours for Mumbai, depending on the daily commuting habits of office-goers,” the activist said.

Unions have been demanding new stands at commercial places and outside thickly populated housing colonies. Commuters, however, complained that the setting up of stands does not serve any purpose. “Drivers at the stands usually form a cartel and ply only to airports and railway stations at fixed rates, which are higher,” said a commuter from Powai.

The taxi unions have also demanded free training programmes for drivers organized by the transport department. RTO officials said they have sensitization programmes for public transport vehicle drivers during renewal of licences.

Raote yet to take call on guidelines

State transport minister Diwakar Raote on Wednesday said transport commissioner Sonia Sethi’s proposal to create a “level-playing field” between kaali peelis and cab aggregators had not yet come to him. Raote, keen on regulations for Ola and Uber, said they must register with the transport department. He spoke to the media before convening a meeting of RTOs at the Andheri office.

The proposal aims to create a uniform taxi scheme in the region. Sources said private taxis plying for aggregators could be brought under the contract carriage permit. The proposal also deals with fleet strength, fare structure and security guidelines for aggregators, sources said. A delegation of bus owners’ associations met Raote and submitted a memorandum, demanding a uniform permit for tourist buses within MMR.